Washington State University Professor and Journalism Dean Lawrence Pintak has put out a guide on Islam for journalists that is being criticized for presenting a politically-correct presentation of Islam. In the below Fox News article, you can access the guide itself. It is rather lengthy
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/04/10/journalists-guide-to-islam-called-cave-in-to-political-correctness/?intcmp=latestnews
I have not read it in detail, but I have perused it. It does provide a useful basic guide to Islam for those who know little or nothing about the subject especially as to Muslim beliefs and the diversity of Muslims. However, it doesn't really go into much depth on issues of violence and intolerance that are sweeping the Islamic world today but does present a sanitized and sympathetic image that becomes downright misleading at times. Indeed, sharia, political Islam, and the Muslim Brotherhood are presented in very benign terms. I did note that there is a reference to violence against Sufis by mainstream Muslim sects as well as a very brief reference to persecution of Ahmadiya Muslims by other Muslims. Violent jihad is mostly linked to al Qaeda. Pintak seems to grudgingly concede that women have an inferior role in Muslim society. There are sections devoted to condemning what the writers refer to the Anti-Islam movement.
I don't fault Pintak for standing up for innocent American Muslims whom he feels should not be tarred with the brush of terrorism. I don't either and have said as much many times on this blog. He condemns the publishing of the Mohammad cartoons. I have chosen not to put those images on my blog because I know they are offensive to all Muslims. What Pintak doesn't give a fair hearing to is what exactly are the objections of the so-called anti-Islam movement? Does he go into the countless cases around the world of Muslim intolerance to non-Muslims and the persecution of Christian, Baha'i and other faiths that are common place in the Muslim nations? Hardly. Does he talk about the hateful rhetoric coming out of the mouths of imams in mosques around the world? How much did Pintak and his other writers go into hudud sharia law, the section that covers "crimes against God" and mandates death for apostasy, blasphemy, adultery and homosexuality? Hardly. Is it bigoted for Americans to feel that this has no place in our free society? Has he ever stopped to think that this so-called anti-Islam movement is actually a human rights movement that would protect the rights of all-including American Muslims?
As this document goes into print, (some) Muslims are murdering other Muslims in the name of Allah or murdering Christians in the name of Allah and wishing they could kill Jews except they can't yet defeat Israel. Is it bigoted to recoil in horror from all that? In fact, if you read this document, except for brief sections, you would wonder what all the violence in the world is about. Maybe it's all a figment of our imagination. There are no churches burning in Egypt. There is no Boko Haram in Nigeria. There is no slaughter going on in Syria.
Keep in mind that this document bears the CAIR seal of approval. They may have well as written it themselves.
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He writes "Islam for Journalists,” an online guide from Washington State University, says coverage of the Muslim world can be fair, yet inoffensive without compromising journalistic principles."
I always thought that getting to the truth of the matter was a journalistic principle.
Both journalists and far too many professors are not satisfied just stating the facts of a matter or teaching the core material in their subjects. They feel compelled to put their body English on it....their world view.
It is as though that is their true mission and journalism or teaching is just the mechanism they use to do it.
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Hmmmm, Washington State University. The state of Washington is one of the most far-left, blue havens, in the Union. Remember, the Dunham family from Kansas, moved to Washington State so their daughter could go to the Mercer Island High School, whose Principal was a Communist. Their daughter, Stanley Ann would give birth to the most far-left, Progressive President of the United States.
Squid
Maybe he was writing a basic guide to Islam, and figured grown-up professional journalists could count the bodies without being spoon-fed anybody's Party Line.
Seems he sent it to CAIR for approval.
Did he seek approval a priori? Or did CAIR endorse it opportunistically a postiori?
Uh, really Squid, are you saying the Dunham's moved half way across the country just to get their daughter into the high school she wanted??? Somehow, I doubt that.
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